Saturday, September 15, 2012

Sara's Spiral - Prehistoric sea

I love spirals and use them frequently as quilting motifs. My mystery quilt is also based on a spiral. I generally choose geometric and abstract designs. I did want these challenges to help me expand my work and have tried to choose different techniques each time. I was telling someone in a mini-group I go to that I was going to look for spirals in nature. She excitedly showed me images from the new Paleontology wing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and I knew that was where I had to head with my camera. I used to collect fossils when I first re-settled in Houston in the late 70s and remembered learning about ammonites. There were so many varieties of them that were short lived that they are used as index fossils to help identify the age of a geologic strata. The specimens at the museum were gorgeous. The ammonites had squiggly separations between each of its growth chambers. Some of the specimens looked like a quilter had done small meandering over the shell. I started with a photo of a model of a living ammonite.

 I watched Susan Brubaker Knapp's DVD on painting and stitching starting with a black and white print out of my photograph and choosing my own colors. I traced the design lines from my photo. Scanned the tracing into the computer and then printed it as close to 12 by 12 as I could. I copied the lines onto some fine pfd fabric and pinned the fabric taut onto some foam core board. I painted with mostly Setacolor paint and a bit of Jacquard lumiere paint and some Stewart and Gill Alchemy paint (the copper and yellow green of the eye). The painting took a lot longer than I expected it would and I waited for drying between colors.After everything was painted and dried, I backed the work with 2 layers of Pellon 40 weight stabilizer (Susan uses an interfacing but I already have the stabilizer) and sketched over any pencil lines with thread and added additional shading and texture with thread. This was tricky for me - the piece probably could have used additional thread work but I tend to love stitching and playing with thread so much that I end up thread painting not sketching so I intentionally held myself back. I finally sandwiched the top with a sample of wool batting and quilting with monofilament thread to add texture but not more color. The quilt was finished with a facing.
Sara's Spiral - Ammonite as it might have existed in its Spiral Home

14 comments:

  1. Sara, this is beautiful. Pardon my ignorance, but is an ammonite the creature that lives inside and/or another name for a nautilus shell? It looks the same and I've always thought that was the name for the creature inside. I love the shells and thought of using this as my inspiration. I've seen many carved shells embellished with metals and used as decorative pieces in museums and have always wanted one to display. How lucky you have your own lovely and realistic piece to display in your home. I think the painting and choice of colors is just perfect!

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  2. Ignorance is right!! I should have googled first, then replied. I had never heard of ammonites and I now know the difference and you have captured it so well with the painting of the shell. Thanks for the lesson.

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  3. We are learning so much with this batch of quilts! Your quilt is stunning, Sara, and, like Nedra, I had never heard of ammonites, and so I will soon be running over to Google to learn more. Your technique, too, was fascinating, and I hope to try to use this method myself, sometime. Thanks for expanding me in two ways--scientifically and artistically!

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  4. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!

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  5. Love your colors and the story! I too have different kinds of paints. Did you choose certain ones to give you an effect or were they chosen for their color? I am experimenting with paints/dyes and trying to figure out if there is one I like better. Did they all give your quilt a nice soft fabric feel or did any of them make the fabric stiff? Love learning from everyone's work.

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  6. Well Sara, this is just absolutely the best! I love your colors and the way you depicted the ammonite! Very clever and very well executed! Thanks for educating all of us about ancient ammonites!

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  7. And another spiral from Mother Nature's drawing book. Your design is wonderful. And thank you for also including a mini-lesson.

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  8. I agree with Rita...what fun to see yet another spiral from Mother Nature and learn so much about an extinct creature. Thank you for taking us though your process, it was well worth having to wait for each layer of paint to dry because the result is wonderful. I also think it brilliant that you went from a light blue to dark...I can feel the coldness of the water.

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  9. I have been collecting fossils from all over Texas from the past forty years of hiking and have large collection so I loved this piece. If any of you are in the Waco area the Mayborn Museum (fantastic place) has huge collection of fossils. Beautiful quilt!

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  10. I have been collecting fossils from all over Texas from the past forty years of hiking and have large collection so I loved this piece. If any of you are in the Waco area the Mayborn Museum (fantastic place) has huge collection of fossils. Beautiful quilt!

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  11. Sara, your experimentation with fabric painting is a huge success. The vibrancy of color and the detail of your subject is striking. Lovely

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  12. Gorgeous, Sara! I'm glad my information helped you try some new techniques! I love how you used the shades of blue in the background. It was so great getting to know you when I was in Houston teaching this summer!

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  13. How absolutely fascinating...the story behind and the results. Thanks for all the details!

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  14. Loved your story, and appreciate you sharing all the information about products and techniques. Great quilt !

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